Open front self-service refrigerator



Jan. 20, 1953 P. H. BRINKOETER OPEN FRONT SELF-SERVICE REFRIGERATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 25, 1951 l v!!! I ill-l 5571' r I l llnl .f/Z.

INVENTOR.

ll wlllillllllll PA L H- R NK ETER BY I 4 emngmwwz AT'roRNEYs AmuHk P. H. BRINKOETER OPEN FRONT SELF-SERVICE REFRIGERATOR Jan. 20, 195-3 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25, 1951 n'r'romways Jan. 20, 1953 P. H. BRINKOETER 2,625,799

OPEN FRONT SELF-SERVICE REFRIGERATOR Filed Oct. 23, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. RA L fi- BRINH ETER BY bMi MIL-f Patented Jan. 20, 1953 OPEN FRONT SELF-SERVICE REFRIGERATOR Paul H. Brinkoeter, San Antonio, Tex., assignor to Ed Friedrich, Inc., San Antonio, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application October 23, 1951, Serial No. 252,612

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improvement in open front self service refrigerators, and more particularly to the provision for cooling and circulating of refrigerated air about the contents such as meats and dairy products on display in the refrigerator or cabinet.

The invention consists in a cabinet having front, back and end walls to provide a food compartment and to locate refrigerating cooling means beneath the food compartment.

An object of the invention is to provide blower units at intervals in the cabinet and so disposed with respect to the cooling means to direct air to and through the coils of the cooling means for circulating cold air to the food compartment.

A further object is in the provision of air duct-s along the front and back walls of the cabinet so that air may be circulated within the cabinet by the blower units through and over the food compartment, and withdrawn from the food compartment beneath the cooling means, where the air will again be drawn into the coolin means before entering the food compartment.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view in longitudinal section of the cabinet; Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the cabinet on line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detail view in perspective of the refrigerating coils, showing arrangement with respect to the fans; Figure 4 is a trans verse vertical sectional view, similar to Figure 2, but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

The cabinet consists of front and back walls It and l I, respectively, and end walls l3. An overhanging wall or super structure [4 extends from the back wall ll toward the front wall, and is provided with mirrors l5 for displaying the contents of the cabinet.

A plurality of channel shaped cross beams l6-I6 extend transversely of the cabinet and are supported by the front and back walls Ill and II. The cabinet is provided with a lower compartment l8 and a food compartment 20. The front wall 10 is of less height than the back wall H, and along its upper edge a thermo-pane glass panel 2| is mounted and forms the front wall of the food compartment 20. Doors 22 are provided in the back wall II for access to the lower compartment l8.

. Mounted on the cross beam I6 are two channel shaped pans l1, I! which extend lengthwise of the cabinet and are spaced from each other and from the front and back walls I0 and II. These pans contain a suitable insulation l9, such as cork and asphalt. Supported on these pans H are drip pans 23', 23, preferably channel shaped and which extend lengthwise of the cabinet. Mounted within each drip pan 23 and intermediate the side walls 24 and 25, thereof, is a bank of finned refrigerating or cooling coils 25. The coils 2-6 are supported above the bottom of the drip pans 23 by a plurality of inverted U-shaped brackets or spacers 21, which are disposed beneath the coils at intervals throughout the length of the coils and cabinet.

The inner side walls 25 of each of the drip pans 23 are provided with inwardly extending flanges 28 on which is supported a panel plate 29. The panel plate 29 is provided with openings 30 at intervals in its length for the reception of the fan or fan blades 3| of a fan motor orblower 32. Surrounding the openings 30 and depending from the panel 29 is a circular frame 33. which supports a slotted metal guard 34 beneath the fan blades 3|.

Extending lengthwise of the refrigerating coils 26 .and on each side thereof are inner and outer supporting plates35 and 36, respectively, which are provided with flanges 31 that overlie the coils 26.. The outer plates 36 rest upon the flanges 38 of the spacers 21 and bolts 39 pass through plates 36, flanges 38, pans 23 and I1, and cross beams l6, and these bolts 38 are provided with nuts 40 for securing these elements to the cross beams Hi. The inner ends of the spacers 21 are similarly secured to the cross beams It. The inner supporting plates 35 are connected at their lower ends to the spacers 21 by screws 4|. Straps 42 extend across the tops of the coil bank-s 23 and the ends thereof are bent downwardly against the plates 35 and 36 for additionally holding the finned coils 26 of each bank in position. The insulated pans l1, drip pans 23, and panel plate 29 supported by the cross beams l5 serve as a partition or ceiling for the lower compartment It.

A cover plate 44 extends across the space between the cooling coils 26, and is supported on the upper ends of the inner supporting plates 35. The cover plate M is providedwith several openings 45 throughout the length thereof for the reception of a portion of the fan motors or blowers 32 mounted in the space betwen the panel plate 29 and cover plate 44. The blowers are connected to the cover by screws 46. An air chamber 41 is provided between the cooling 3 coils 25, the cover plate 3!) and the panel plate 29.

The plates 35 and 36 cover the sides of the coils 26 so that air from the blowers is directed under the coils and discharged through the top of the coils 26. The inner plates 35 do not extend to the bottom of the an'szs so that an airpassage is provided from the air chamber 41 beneath the coils throughout their length. The outer plates 36 formed a closure preventing the air from is suing through the coils toward the back and front walls of the cabinet.

The rear wall of the food, compartment 2i) is provided with a longitudinal 'd'uct '48 which is spaced from the rear wall I I of the cabinet. The duct 43 consists of a rear panel 4 9 and a front panel 55, the ends and top of which are closed and is supported by an angle iron running fnll length of cabinet. The lower edges of the panels 49 and 5B are separated and thereby provide an ingress or intake opening to the duct 48. Each panel isprovided with an inwardly extending flangei and flange 52 of panel 59 is supported by angle iron 51 Flange 53 of panel .49 i'sfconnected to the upper edge of outer supporting plate 36 by screw bolts 54. The front panel 50 of duct 48 is provided with openings or perforations 55 for the egress of the cold air into the food compartment 2B, and over the trays or shelves 5%. This panel 59 is provided with a longitudinal rib 51 so that the shelves 56 may be elevated and supported in an inclined position, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2.

The rear wall 1 l of the cabinet has a lining 58 which curves inwardly at its upper end 59 over and above the upper longitudinal edge of the duct 48 for forr'ning an ingress or intake passage or duct fifl between the lining 58 and rear panel 49 to direct the warm air to the lower compartment l 8. The side wall 24 ofdrip pan 23 adjacent rear wall ll is spaced therefrom to provide an outlet for the passage 60 to the compartment I8. The supporting plate 36 functions as a wall for the passage Boa t low r e d... l

A perfo a edsrm or d etfih xte en hwise of the cabinet, and is located at the front of thefood cpmpartrnentlii, and is supported on the inner surface of the front wall I 0 by a bracketBS. A panel 64, extending longitudinally of the cabinet, is disposed between the outer supporting plate 36 of the front cooling coil 25 and the inner surface of the front wall Ill, and isconnected to the bracket 53 and underlies an inwardly extending flange 55 of the grill or duct 52 at its upper edge. The lower edge of the panel is connected to a sidewall 24 ofthe drip pan 23 by screw bolts'fifi. The panel 64 is spaced from the front wall It so that a passage or duct 68 is formed leading fromthe duct 62 to the lower compartment l8. Thepanelii l is perforated at 69 to admit cold air from the front cooling coil 26 to a passage disposed between the supporting plate 35 and panel 64 to enter the passage 58 and assist in conducting the warm air from food compartment entering duct 52 to the compartment [8. a

The forwardedgeo'f the tray or shelf 56 is supported on the brackets 63 and flange 65 of the duct 62, and the rear edge is supported by angle iron 5l and flange 52. a a

In operationfof the device, air is drawn by the blowers 32 into the air or blower chamber 41 from the lower chamber it through the openings of panel plate zawhjere t builds up pressure and is forced uniformly beneath the lower edges of supporting plate and beneath the two banks of coils 25, where the air will be directed to and through the cooling coils. The air upon leaving the coils is directed beneath the shelf units 56. The perforated shelves 55 are preferably made in units which when positioned in the cabinet make up a single shelf extending the full length and width of the cabinet, and as the refrigerated air from the cooling coils 26 is discharged beneath these shelves throughout the length of the cablnet, the space beneath the shelves provides a large cooling chamber F2 for the shelves and the merchandise supported thereon. From this eharh er 112 the refrigerated air, which is under pressure, will be caused to flow into rear duct 48, and from which the air will be exhausted over the top of the shelves or shelf and the merchandise displayed thereon through the openings 55 in the front panel 55 of the duct 43. In this manner the merchandise on the shelf 56, will be maintained in a chilled state, as the shelf will be first subjected to the refrigerated air, and some of the air will flow through the openings "or perforations of the sh lf andamong the merchandise and be expelled over the top of the merchandise. This air emanating through the merchandise will be commingled with therefri'gerated air issuing over the top of the merchandise from the duct 43 so that the temperature of the air issuing from the merchandise will, be lowered and the mer chandise will always be maintained at a proper temperature. In instances Where the m'erchana dise is of a character where the perforations of the shelf 55 are substantially closed the r'nerchan dise willbe ooled by conduction.

The air above the merchandise will be drawn into the lower chamber l8, by suction created by the blowers 32, through, the ducts or passages '69 and 62 at the rear and front s'id'es of the cabinet. The large lower compartment i8 is refrigerated by drawing the cold air from the front coil 25 through the passage ill, perforations of panel 64 and passage 63. The warm air drawn from the food. compartment 25 through duct 52 and p'as sage 58. is lowered in temperature as it enter's the lower chamber l8 by commin'gling with the re} frigerated air issuing into passage ts from front coil 25.

The cross beams l5 taperinwardly from the ends providing a ow "area or sorh'ewh'at concave surface at the center line longitudinally of the cabinet, and therefore the drip pans '28 tilt 'or are inclined toward the center of the cabinet. This construction allows any x'noisturepr water from the coils,'andin the defrosting cycle, to leot in the drip pans 2'3 and to flow toward the inner side walls 25 of the drip pans, where the Water can be readily drainedjf-rorn the drip pans 23 by applyingsuitable taps tothe "side walls 2 5 and conducting the Water from the cabinet. Also, as the air is delivered to the coils 26 from the chamber 41, the water in the pans 23 will be collected and evaporated by the air "as it is conducted to and forced through the coils '25. The brackets for spacers 2-7 are so constructed as to support and maintain the icons on a proper level and horizontal plane above the cross beams.

The insulation It in the pans n prevent the drip pans 23 supported 'thereabove from sweatifi and any condensation hem dropping down'on the merchandise in the lower compartment 18-.

The disclosure in Figures is similar inmost respects to that illustrated in the other figures. However, the cooling coils 26 are coniposedef a single "bank of coils extending lengthwise and transversely of the cabinet. The supporting plates 36, 3B of the coils are supported by angle irons running the full length of the cabinet. The fan motors 32 are supported by a mounting panel 16 that is held in position by the coil assembly in any suitable manner. The fan blades 3| of the motor blowers 32 are located beneath the cooling coils 26 and in the lower compartment l8. A perforated cover plate 1'! is disposed above the cooling coils 26 so that the cold air emanating from the coils will be delivered to the cooling chamber 12 provided between the perforated shelf 56 and cover plate 11.

The air duct 62 along the front wall is provided by a panel 18 supported in spaced relation to the front wall it], and has a glass baffle 19 along its upper edge, which baffle and panel form the front wall of the food compartment 20. The air duct 62 has communication with the cooling chamber 12 and food compartment 20. The air duct 48 along the rear wall has communication with the cooling chamber 12 and food compartment, and the duct 60 forms a communication between the compartments l8 and 243. The perforated shelf is supported by a flange 5| of the front panel 50, and by a flange 80 on the panel 18. A longitudinal sectional partition 8! is supported by the angle irons 15 and is located beneath the cooling coils 26. The partition 8| is recessed or concaved so that any condensate from the coils will drain toward the longitudinal center flanges 83 of each section of the partition. Openings 82 are formed in the partition beneath the fans 3! or blowers 32 to provide communication between the coils 26 and compartment It.

In this exempliiication of the invention the refrigerating coils are located beneath the food display shelf 55 and disposed over the entire shelf area, so that the air forced through the coils will pass through the perforated cover plate ll into the cooling chamber 12 beneath the shelf 56. The shelf 56 is perforated; so that the air can filter up through the shelf in between the packages of merchandise displayed on the shelf. Should the shelf become completely blocked with merchandise, then the air would travel through the ducts 68 and 62 and be directed in its flow over and into the food compartment 20. Under most conditions the cold air will pass from the cooling chamber 12 through the shelf 56 and ducts 4t, 62 to the food compartment 25. The warm air of the food compartment will be withdrawn through duct 60 by the fan blowers 32 into the compartment i8 beneath the coils 2%, where it will be again directed through the coils 26 and cooled before entering the food compartment.

While it has been related that the invention as set forth in the several figures is applicable to open self -service refrigerators, it will be readily apparent that the cooling system can be efficiently employed with closed service refrigerators. In the disclosures as set forth in Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 4, the refrigerated air from the cooling coils will be delivered to the cooling chamber 72, and filters up through the perforated shelf 53 around the merchandise displayed thereon and cooling the display area of the food compartment as the refrigerated air passes through the display area to the return air ducts B6 and 62. Should at any time, the display shelf 55' become completely blocked-with merchandise in such a manner to prevent the filtering of the refrigerated air through the perforations of the shelves 56, then, the refrigerated air is directed to the rear air duct 48, as in Figures 1 to 3, and both ducts 48 and 62 of Figure 4, and is expelled over the top of the merchandise cooling the display area of the .food compartment.

What I claim isi 1. In a display cabinet, the combination of a lower compartment and a food'compartment, a shelf between said compartments for displaying merchandise, refrigerating coils located beneath said shelf, blowers for directing refrigerated air from said coils to and through said shelf and food compartment, air ducts located along the 'front and rear sides of said shelf for conducting cold air from said coils to said food compartment and warm air from said food compartment to said lower compartment, and a partition disposed between said refrigerating coils and lower compartment having an opening therein to provide communication between said lower compartment and said refrigerating coils, said blowers drawing the air from said lower compartment to said refrigerating coils.

2.1n an open front display cabinet, the combination of a food compartment having a perforated shelf for displaying mechandise, refrigerated cooling coils extending lengthwise of said cabinet and arranged beneath said shelf and in spaced relation thereto to provide a cooling chamber between said shelf and cooling coils, blowers for directing air through said coils and into said cooling chamber, and ducts positioned at the front and rear of said food compartment having communication with said cooling chamber and food compartment to provide a circuit for the circulation of air from and to said cooling chamber and said food compartment.

3. In an open front display cabinet, the combination of a food compartment having a perforated shelf for displaying merchandise, cooling coils extending lengthwise of said cabinet arranged adjacent the front and rear walls of said cabinet, a cover disposed between said cooling coils for forming an air chamber between said cooling coils, blowers for directing air into said air chamber and to said cooling coils, and ducts positioned at the front and rear of said cabinet having communication with said air chamber and food compartment to provide a circuit for the circulation of air from and to said air chamber and said food compartment.

4. In a display cabinet, the combination of a lower compartment and a food compartment, a perforated shelf between said compartments for displaying merchandise, banks of refrigerating coils located beneath said shelf, blowers disposed between said banks of coils, a cold air duct located along the rear side of said shelf for directing cold air over said shelf having con'1 munication with said refrigerating coils, and ducts positioned along the front of said cabinet and in rear of said cold air duct having communication with said lower compartment, said blowers drawing the warm air into said lower compartment through said last mentioned ducts.

5. In a display cabinet, the combination of a lower compartment and a food compartment, a shelf betweensaid compartments for displaying merchandise, banks of refrigerating coils located beneath said shelf, blowers disposed between said banks of coils, a cold air duct located along the rear side of said shelf for directing cold air over said shelf having communication with said refrigerating coils, and ducts positioned along the front of said cabinet and in rear of said cold 7. a r duct having connnunication wi sa d lower compartment, said blowers drawing the warm air into said lower compartment through said last mentioned ducts, and means for conducting refrigerated air from at least one of said coils to said front air return duct.

6. In a display cabinet, the combination of a lower compartment and a food compartment, a partition dividing said lower compartment from said food compartment having an opening there in, a blower chamber extending lengthwise of said cabinet having communication with said lower compartment through said partitioli a blower in said blower chamber, cooling coils disposed on each side of said blower chamber having communication with said blower chamber, a shelf for merchandise mounted in said cabinet. above said cooling coils and blower chamber providing a cooling chamber therebetween, and a cold air duct located along the rear side of said shelf connected to said cooling chamber for directing cold air across said shelf and. cabinet.

7. In a display cabinet, the combination oi a lower compartment and a food compartment, a, partition dividing said lower compartment iron; said food compartment having an opening therein, a blower chamber extending lengthwise of said cabinet having communication with said lower chamber through said partition, a blower in said blower chamber, cooling coils disposed on each side of said blower chamber having cemmunication with said blower chamber, a shelf for merchandise mounted in said cabinet above said cooling coils and blower chamber providing a cooling chamber therebetween, and a cold air duct located along the rear side of said shelf connected to said cooling chamber for directing cold air across said shelf and cabinet, and ducts positioned along the front and rear sides of said cabinet having communication with said lower and food compartments, said blower drawing the warm air from said food compartment into said lower compartment through said iast mentioned ducts.

8. In a display cabinet, the combination of a lower and a food compartment, a partition between said compartments, a blower chamber having communication with said lqwcrcompartrnent through an opening in said partition, a blower in said chamber, cooling coils disposed on each side of said chamber and having communication with said chamber, a cold air duct and an air return duct mounted along the remand front walls of said cabinet, a shelf supported by said ducts above said cooling coils and chamber, one of said ducts having communication with said cooling coils and food compartment and the other of said ducts having communication with both compartments.

9. In a display cabinet, the combination of a lower and a food compartment, a partition between said compartments, a blower chamber having communication with said lower compartment through an opening in said partition, a blower in said chamber, cooling coils disposed on each side of said chamber and having communication with said chamber, a cold air duct and an air return duct mounted along the rear and front walls of said cabinet, a shelf supported by said ducts above said cooling coils and chamber, one of said ducts having communication with said cooling coils and food compartment and the other of said ducts having communication with 8. oth a tm l and an he ai urn. duct having communication with both compartments and disposed between the rear wall of said cabinet and said cold air duct.

10, In a display cabinet, the combination of a lower compartment and a food compartment, a partition in said cabinet between said compartment, cooling coils extending lengthwise of said cabinet along the front and rear walls thereof, supported by said partition, blowers between said coils, a cover plate extending lengthwise of said cabinet and bridging the space between said coils for forming with said partition a blower chamber, said blower chamber having communication with said lower chamber and with said cooling coils, a cold air duct and air return ducts mounted along the rear and front walls of said cabinet, a shelf supported by said ducts above said cooling coils and said chamber, said cold air duct having com munication with said cooling coils and said food compartment, said air return duct having communication with both compartments, and means for conducting refrigerated air to said air return duct to be directed into said lower compartment with the warm air from the food compartment.

11. A display cabinet, comprising a front wall and a back wall, and a food compartment and a lower compartment, drip pans extending lengthwise of said cabinet and spaced from said front and back walls and separated from each other, refrigerating coils mounted in each of said drip pans and disposed above the bottom of said pan, a panel plate extending lengthwise of said cabinet located between said pans and supported thereby, said pans and panel plate separating said food compartment from said lower compartment, a blower disposed between said refrigerating coils having communication with said lower compartment for delivering air therefrom to said coils, a cold air duct and an air return duct mounted along the rear and front walls of said cabinet, a shelf supported by said ducts, said cold air duct having communication with said coils and food compartment, said air return duct having communication with both compartments.

12. In a display cabinet, comprising a front wall and a back wall, and a food and a lower compartment, insulated drip pans arranged in parallel relation and spaced from said front and back walls supported in said cabinet, cooling coils mounted in said drip pans and supported above the bottoms thereof, outer supporting plates mounted in said pans and engaging the outer sides of said coils, inner supporting plates engaging the inner sides of said coils and having the lower edges thereof spaced from the bottom of said pans to provide an air passage to said pans and coils, a blower for delivering air from said lower compartment to said coils, a shelf in said food compartment located above said coils, an air duct for delivering cold air from said coils to said food compartment, and an air return duct having communication with both compartments.

PAUL H. BRINKOETER.

REFERENCES, CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date ,466,286, stu tz p 5, 1949 3,529,384 Greiling Nov. '7, 1950 

